Lincoln Without The Beard
North Lincoln doesn't sound like a very exciting band name, but it's deceptive. Because rather than the bland, wooden sound their cover artwork would like you to believe they have, they're a loud and proud band that have rasping vocals at their fore and a driving rhythm section covering their backs.
Kicking 'Truth is a Menace' off in style with 'Satellite', North Lincoln raise their burning torch and dare others to follow the path they're setting off on. Perhaps the lyrics are not the most intelligent things ever to have been uttered, or delivered with the most amount of passion, but they're agreeable and slide in neatly against the compact guitar work seen in tracks like 'Apology'. 'Who's Counting Anyway' sports a snazzy little bassline that cries out to be noticed yet, it's lost behind the stop-start guitars that pound along faithfully. Deceptive, it sounds like a pleasant account of a night out drinking, yet a closer listen will reveal the darker undertones at work behind this song.
'Exit Signs' and 'Four Walls Don't Make a Home' continue to tell a tale that's tinged with regret, drink, broken relationships and the sense of claustrophobia that everyone can relate to in their younger years. North Lincoln speak honestly and truthfully about the lyrical material that never tires. They manage to capture life as they see it into short, sharp bursts of song that clock in at around two minutes on average- perfect for those with a shorter attention span.
In 'Angel Wings' the band manage to perform a stunning rendition of the bland Emo music that is choking the rock world at the moment. Still, they manage it with style and the result is a song that despite catching on nerves, will still manage to charm with its mid-song lull. 'Saint Rogue Red' is much the same, with places that irritate before its redeeming features shine throw. Vocally, the band do not vary much despite having two voices contributing. In all other respects though, the band manage to twist and turn each track into something slightly different to the previous.
Then, slipped into the second half of the album is... a Smiths cover. Risky business, but the band manage to pull it off with some success- it's certainly listenable and their vocal patterns are forced into a different shape. It's a refreshing change to the rest of their album, but many will say that it's not a patch on the original. 'Sick' brings the band back down to their usual ground and the song slips by in a flurry of shouts, energy and wild drumming before 'Six' makes its hurried appearance. At just under two minutes it's short, sharp and to the point. Final track 'A Message Lost in a Sing-a-Long' rapidly ends and as you're left in silence, you wonder where on earth the rest of the album went. Slightly repetitive, yet somehow catchy enough to leave you wishing those tracks were double the length.